Brian and Ruth Christine Newsletter, April 2003 Edition

The 'Poetry & Prose' Edition

A lot has happened since the last newsletter. We are at war. Our nation is entering a new era, in fact, the world is. We are in for some big surprises soon. I recall a prophecy 1 read years ago about the whole world marveling over the dead eagle lying in the desert. Don't know what is going to happen, but I do know that our days are numbered. We will be humbled and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Humility has brought me closer to the King. This  newsletter ended up being mostly poems that "happened" this month. Ruth is taking a writing class at Coffee Creek and I took a poetry class at Purdue back in the early 90's. She has shared with me some of her recent writing and I must say, it's REALLY GOOD! :) Good job Ruth! She's also coming along in her typing class. I've been designing a website at work, something 1 really enjoy doing.

The swallows showed up for their spring nesting Soon they will be numbering in the thousands. I plucked a lonely violet yesterday and it's keeping me company back at my bunk. I have to keep it hidden though. Flowers are contraband here, but God causes contraband to pop up all over the place. DOC has filed a grievance with Him, but have not received a hearing date yet. The colors of the violet are just amazing the deepest, richest purple and the brightest, boldest yellow! God just blows me away. But it's also a tough time for me. We would normally be moving on by now in our migrations, but we're stuck here in one place. I will enjoy the new green growth as best I can from behind razor wire (sounds like a war zone and I guess it is... war on the American family).
Brian Christine -

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Day of New Beginnings       Written March 30th, 2003 by Brian Christine

The day was bright and clear
but everywhere I looked
both far and near
lain, the remnants of a nation tom, a people destroyed
The mountains of glass and iron all fell in an hour
but the character took decades before
it was all gone before the first bomb fell

The day before was darkness and gloom
terror reigned as predicted...
by so many hollywood films
What so many lusted after was delivered up in full service
the day the demons rejoiced and feasted

Where is the majesty of this great land, now laid bare?
We were digging as if for gold
but we were mining inside a corpse, eating our way out towards the surface
and all that was left was a puffed up dried cut shell that easily burned up
It was all a vanity

History repeats and we found that the sun does set on the empire
Should've learned from dear ole' dad but some lessons come hard, the day i cried
Now there's nothing left but these ashes
but as the pod book says
the meek shall inherit the earth

Though that day be my salvation, my freedom from cruel oppressors,
I did nothing but grieve with ashes upon my head
I too wanted to gather this people like chicks under His authority,
but they weren't having it His way
Now all is destruction and we, the meek, are left to clean up and a on...
In service of the King
The day america fell to the ground .

A Meditation in the Desert by Brian Christine

Hopelessly captured
infinitely ruptured

into the swirling overcoming giant wall of wind that is
the breath of God.

In the desert

tattered rags hanging from weathered brown skin
golden clumpy whisps of hair blow about the face
a dusty wind dances al around for miles
plays games with my loosened locks
Face gritty, soiled and oily
Undone in this barren wilderness
yet the power of existence in such nothingness is no small wonder.

Eyes closed, legs crossed, feet tucked into knees sitting there

Bare souled, naked mind
This is the place of entering in

How could such a one enter into the divine
Is this the manner of presentation

to the King of Kings
How can this be

So long in this desert
How many times I've determined to turn my thee from You my that Love

yet as hard as I try, I find my entirety is saturated in Your Love
and there is no turning no it's only a vanity

Oh for the shallowness that I might turn from You, but alas it's not possible.

I'm infinitely captured
Helplessly ruptured
in Your Love.

Letter from Brian to little Lydia of March 2003

One time you asked mommy "Why did you steal us mommy?" Well, she never did steal you. Let's say I gave you and ice lolly and you were about to eat it when someone came along and pushed you down and took it away Rom you. Then, after you gathered yourself together and at back up, you walked over and pushed that person and took back your ice lolly. Who is guilty of stealing? You see, God gave you girls to Mommy and Baba. We bore you and raised you in both good and bad ways, but God gave you to us nonetheless. Someone in Oregon who didn't even know us decided to steal you three and Mommy and Baba fought for a whole year to get you back Some people say we didn't do enough but they don't know all that we did do and what do they know anyway. You see, we each have to answer to God in the end so what other people say doesn't matter much anyways. But we (your Mommy and 1) eventua1y saw that Oregon wanted to adopt you out possibly to strangers and so out of our love for you we took you back the only way left. It was not wrong. Any animal will protect it's children and even fight unto death for them. We did the same for you and I would not regret it even if they gave me a thousand years of prison and tortured me
and chopped off my arms and legs, I would still love you my precious daughter. Nothing can ever kill or quench our fiery love for you and I will always fight for you even though 10,000 miles separate us. God will rejoin us and our enemies will waste away. Just wait and see. I love you. Baba -

Beauty for Ashes by Lee Bain Chiard    Isaiah 61:1-3

Beauty for ashes He brought me...

Sweet oil for joy for my tears...

Anthems of praise he has taught me,

to replace the pain of my years.

Comfort He brings to the broken,

This healer of grief-stricken hearts;

By blessed words He has spoken,

Love, joy and peace He imparts.

High hope is He to the hopeless...

While souls bound by sin He sets free;

A shelter of rest for the homeless

a help to the helpless is He.

Healing He bring to the ailing

Yet even at deaths final hour

He promises life-never-failing

For He is the source of all power

Of whom is my simple song singing...

This One who gave beauty for shame?

Messiah, to whom I am clinging

Christ Jesus, the Lord is His Name!

Tinted Windows by Ruth Christine

Have you ever been an outsider
pointed at
stared at
Someone who just plain didn't fit in?

Someone sitting on the other side of that tinted window
staring out at the World
And it hurt your heart to know that you didn't
couldn't
wouldn't
belong, or did it hurt you more to know that you didn't want
to belong

And what if the grey sky was green and the Brass was blue and red
would you fit in then
Would you have a place
a home
Or would you still be on the outside
on the inside
looking through that tinted glass
at the world?

Hot or Cold? by Thomas Shinn

The lukewarm man is a dreadful sight,
Neither hot nor cold but still feels right.
The day will come when he's told to depart,
Lo, you worshipped with lips and not with heart.
You went to church, you sang the songs,
But the entire time you were living wrong.
What in your life did you truly deny?
Lo, your religious life is one big lie.
The lusts of the flesh and the pride of life
You live each day as a harlot wife.
Seeking pleasure from a world of sin,
Lo, you never looked to the joy within.
For many before have chose this road,
The same to them was plainly told.
I give you two paths of which to pick,
One is narrow and the other a trick
Your free will desires the broaden way,
The same he told you does not pay.
If you're on this path it's time to leave,
Lo, by lies and blindness are you deceived.
Turn you now and live for truth,
Like Paul, John, Mark and Ruth.
They denied them selves and followed the Son,
0, eternal life is what they have won!
They counted their lives as but dung
And to Christ's ways they tightly clung.
The life they lived was not about "me",
Lo, it was the life of Christ the did see.
Though you lukewarm man will surely hear,
These dreaded words upon your ears,
Depart from me, you I never knew,
Lo, you worked iniquity too!

Thomas Shinn #13577146
EOCI 2500 Westgate
Pendleton, OR 97801 
Thomas welcomes any correspondence -